Surgeon struck off for lying about removing brain tumour

Emmanuel Labram tried to cover up his failure to remove a patient's brain
tumour in 2008

Emmanuel Labram (inset) convinced the woman, identified only a Patient A, that she did not need any further treatment after the operation at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in 2008Photo: GETTY IMAGES/CENTRAL NEWS

A neurosurgeon who falsely told a woman he had removed her brain tumour, and then tried to cover up his lie, has been struck off.

Emmanuel Labram convinced the woman, identified only a Patient A, that she did not need any further treatment after the operation at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in 2008.

He then lied to colleagues and forged documents to keep up the deception.

Dr Howard Freeman, the chairman of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel, said “Mr Labram had acted in a dishonest and misleading manner in his care of Patient A over a period of two years”.

He said the surgeon may have genuinely believed that he had removed the lesion, but attempted to cover it up when he realised this was not the case.

“Cumulatively, these serious breaches demonstrate conduct that falls far below the standards expected of all registered medical practitioners, and which, in the panel’s judgment, is capable of undermining public confidence in the profession and bringing the profession into disrepute,” Dr Freeman added. “The panel is of the view that Mr Labram’s behaviour would be regarded as deplorable by fellow practitioners and by the public.”

He added: “The panel is of the view that Mr Labram’s misconduct has brought the profession into disrepute and that, in doing so, he has breached some of the fundamental tenets of the profession. His integrity cannot be relied upon.”

The fitness to practise panel resumed in Manchester yesterday after a three-month delay.

Craig Sephton QC, for the General Medical Council, told a hearing in London: “Lying and forgery is what we are talking about here and it has been carried out over a long period.”

The panel found that the surgeon put the woman, described as “Patient A”, at serious risk of harm, abused his position of trust and violated his patient’s rights.

Mr Labram, from Maryculter, outside Aberdeen, convinced his patient, and her husband, that she did not need further treatment for two years after the failed operation. He claimed he had removed 100 per cent of the one-inch tumour, but had only removed four tiny fragments, which could not even be used to determine what the tumour was as they were “non-diagnostic samples”.

When he later told her in 2010 that the lesion had “recurred”, she was forced to seek private treatment, which was only partially successful as by then the tumour was inoperable.

The patient gave evidence against Labram, who is now retired. He was found guilty of serious misconduct and struck off the medical register.